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COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES

The article I have chosen specifically focuses on new allegations (although not so new now) that New Zealand’s GCSB are conducting mass surveillance on Pacific countries. It goes on to discuss the usual political ping pong commentary, ‘He lied’ and ‘I didn’t lie’ etc. The article engenders the idea that New Zealand is playing the double agent, representing the Pacific in the UNSC and then ‘selling’ them out to the ‘Five Eyes’ club.

The articles wispy attempt to represent a balanced opinion on the subject, is jaded by it’s desire to indulge in the lucrative sensationalism of little ole’ New Zealand involved in something out of cold war novel. I want to create an image that simulates this redressing of banal New Zealand into a thrilling tale of espionage. My inspiration will come from 60s spy posters, book covers, and cold war art, specifically focussing on geometrical shaping, simplicity, and color blocking. I am going to focus on incorporating iconography synonymous with New Zealand and spying, depending on what I decide in the end, this could include: eyes, cameras, our flag, the globe, the Skytower, perhaps the buzzy bee(?)

The article is seething with information, however, the dominant idea is that New Zealand has been accused of spying on the Pacific. I want to follow the Gestalt principal that ‘The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts,’ so there needs to be an alliance of elements i.e dominance, to highlight the buzzwords of the article, making the image instantly recognizable as a whole. I also acknowledge that this article highlights the multifaceted complexities of this issue, and so while I want a powerful ‘whole’ image, I also want to incorporate smaller details that allude to the undercurrents, the subtle themes of this saga i.e moral obligations, betrayal of neighbors, Orwellian similarities, how John Key is a slippery snake-toothed liar (probably not the last one, even though it’s true).

I want to create an American Beauty type thing–an image that is simple and arresting from the outset, but when you LOOK CLOSER it’s an intricate beauty.